Williams catches fire for Fresno Grizzlies despite defeat

Before this season, Fresno Grizzlies catcher Jackson Williams was nothing more than a defensive specialist.

His bat was practically useless -- if not harmful -- to his teams with a career .203 average through five minor league seasons.

But something has clicked for Williams this year, and he isn't completely sure what has helped spark the change.

He just knows he wasn't going to settle being a defensive specialist with a nonexistent bat.

Williams was at it again Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with an RBI in the Grizzlies' 9-8 loss to the Tucson Padres before an announced crowd of 6,419 at Chukchansi Park. Williams is now hitting .276 with seven home runs this season.

"The biggest difference I think that's happened to me this year is when I'm getting my pitches, I'm hitting them hard and getting hits, and not fouling them off," said Williams, who before this year had never hit higher than .231 or recorded more than five home runs in a season.

Five years ago, Williams was considered the future catcher for the parent-club San Francisco Giants.

He was a first-round pick out of Oklahoma, noted for his ability to work with pitchers and a strong arm to prevent runners from stealing.

But a year later, the Giants already seemed ready to discard Williams after using their 2008 first-round pick on another catcher -- this one named Buster Posey.

"At first, you kind of wonder what's going on," Williams said. "It definitely wasn't a thrilling or awesome experience at the time to know the same team that spent a high draft pick on you, spent another high draft pick on your same position."

Already struggling with his hitting in pro ball, Williams went somewhat into a tailspin from the pressure of fending off Posey on the organizational depth chart.

But there was no slowing Posey's quick ascension through the minors before becoming the Giants' franchise hitter, and Williams noticed it up close.

"He's a special player, a different player," Williams said. "Some people have a faster learning curve than others."

Williams, meanwhile, steadily moved up the minors with his defense earning him promotions. His hitting, though, continued to struggle.

And that was apparent last year when Williams rejoined the Grizzlies despite hitting .208 in Double-A Richmond. As expected, his hitting got worse against Triple-A pitching as Williams hit .191 in 56 games.

But Williams said he started to figure out the type of hitter he was toward the end of last season, and that's maybe where his improved swinging began.

He strived for more direct contact with the baseball and tried to eliminate any uppercut motion. Williams worked on getting a faster swing to the ball and he stepped to the plate with a more disciplined approach.

Most importantly, he made sure to clear his mind before each at-bat.

"The improvements he's made have been phenomenal," Grizzlies manager Bob Mariano said. "Sometimes a guy is told so many different things he needs to tinker with, it messes up his approach.

"A defensive catcher like Jackson who can catch and throw, if he can hit, too, that's invaluable. Not just here, but in the majors."